Piano dating guide
Steinway & Sons piano serial numbers
Steinway & Sons was founded in New York in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway. Use this historical sequence to estimate a production year, then check the factory, model and construction details.
Where to look
Look on the iron frame near the tuning pins. On grands, also check the frame and soundboard areas visible beneath the music desk.
Use the result carefully
Steinway instruments were produced in New York and Hamburg. A serial number gives useful dating evidence, but factory and model context should also be confirmed.
Serial-number reference
Find the nearest serial number in the table. If the number falls between two entries, the likely production date falls between those years.
| Year | Serial no. | Year | Serial no. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 | 1000 | 1940 | 300000 |
| 1858 | 2000 | 1941 | 305000 |
| 1860 | 3000 | 1942 | 310000 |
| 1861 | 5000 | 1943 | 314000 |
| 1863 | 9000 | 1944 | 316000 |
| 1865 | 11000 | 1945 | 317000 |
| 1866 | 13000 | 1946 | 319000 |
| 1867 | 15000 | 1947 | 322000 |
| 1868 | 17000 | 1948 | 324000 |
| 1869 | 19000 | 1949 | 328000 |
| 1870 | 21000 | 1950 | 331000 |
| 1871 | 23000 | 1951 | 334000 |
| 1872 | 25000 | 1952 | 337000 |
| 1873 | 27000 | 1953 | 340000 |
| 1874 | 29000 | 1954 | 343000 |
| 1875 | 31000 | 1955 | 346500 |
| 1876 | 33000 | 1956 | 350000 |
| 1877 | 35000 | 1957 | 355000 |
| 1878 | 40000 | 1958 | 358000 |
| 1881 | 45000 | 1959 | 362000 |
| 1883 | 50000 | 1960 | 366000 |
| 1886 | 55000 | 1961 | 370000 |
| 1887 | 60000 | 1962 | 375000 |
| 1889 | 65000 | 1963 | 380000 |
| 1891 | 70000 | 1964 | 385000 |
| 1893 | 75000 | 1965 | 390000 |
| 1894 | 80000 | 1966 | 395000 |
| 1896 | 85000 | 1967 | 400000 |
| 1898 | 90000 | 1968 | 405000 |
| 1900 | 95000 | 1969 | 412000 |
| 1901 | 100000 | 1970 | 418000 |
| 1902 | 105000 | 1971 | 423000 |
| 1904 | 110000 | 1972 | 426000 |
| 1905 | 115000 | 1973 | 431000 |
| 1906 | 120000 | 1974 | 436000 |
| 1907 | 125000 | 1975 | 439000 |
| 1908 | 130000 | 1976 | 445000 |
| 1909 | 135000 | 1977 | 450000 |
| 1910 | 140000 | 1978 | 455300 |
| 1911 | 145000 | 1979 | 463000 |
| 1912 | 155000 | 1980 | 468500 |
| 1913 | 160000 | 1981 | 473500 |
| 1914 | 165000 | 1982 | 478500 |
| 1915 | 170000 | 1983 | 483000 |
| 1916 | 175000 | 1984 | 488000 |
| 1917 | 180000 | 1985 | 493000 |
| 1918 | 190000 | 1986 | 498000 |
| 1919 | 195000 | 1987 | 503000 |
| 1920 | 200000 | 1988 | 507700 |
| 1921 | 205000 | 1989 | 512600 |
| 1922 | 210000 | 1990 | 516700 |
| 1923 | 215000 | 1991 | 521000 |
| 1924 | 225000 | 1992 | 523500 |
| 1925 | 230000 | 1993 | 527000 |
| 1926 | 240000 | 1994 | 530000 |
| 1927 | 250000 | 1995 | 533500 |
| 1928 | 260000 | 1996 | 537200 |
| 1929 | 265000 | 1997 | 540700 |
| 1930 | 270000 | 1998 | 545600 |
| 1931 | 271000 | 1999 | 549600 |
| 1932 | 273000 | 2000 | 554000 |
| 1933 | 275000 | 2001 | 558000 |
| 1934 | 278000 | 2002 | 562500 |
| 1935 | 279000 | 2003 | 567000 |
| 1936 | 281000 | 2004 | 571000 |
| 1937 | 289000 | 2005 | 574500 |
| 1938 | 290000 | 2006 | 578500 |
| 1939 | 294000 | 2007 | 582500 |
Need help identifying the piano?
Send clear photographs of the maker name, model marking, serial number and the full instrument. We can help distinguish the relevant markings before you rely on a date.